Chapter 117: We Are Very Familiar

"Bullshit?!"

Lu Baichuan was stunned. Why would Wu Long reject his proposal without even hearing him out?

"May I be so bold as to ask why?"

Lu Baichuan pressed.

Wu Long said, "You two are nothing but the Li Group's dogs. Now you're stray dogs, which just makes you even more useless. I don't work with trash."

Lu Baichuan was indignant. 'How can Wu Long look down on me like this?'

'I fought and clawed my way up, too. I just took a different path than Wu Long.'

'Does Wu Long only respect people who came up through the underground boxing rings?'

"Chairman Wu, you can't say that! I have something you absolutely want. I wouldn't have come to you without it!"

Wu Long chuckled dryly. "You don't have it on you... are you talking about your dick? Sorry, but I've got one of those too. And it's better than yours."

This was just him being a complete asshole. Even if Wu Long looked down on the Lu father and son, he shouldn't have said something like that.

Lu Baichuan was furious, but for the sake of his company's future, he had to keep his emotions in check.

"This is something you absolutely want. The last time you fought Qiao Canhua for it, you lost. Now's your chance to have it!"

Wu Long thought for a moment. "Is there such a thing? I'd advise you not to talk nonsense. I've never had any ideas about his wife."

Lu Baichuan had no choice but to say, "City South Lot 6. Do you remember it?"

Wu Long mulled it over and seemed to recall something.

"Yes, I remember," Wu Long said, recalling it. But he distinctly remembered that the Li Group had taken that piece of land.

Seeing that Wu Long remembered, the Lu father and son immediately pressed their advantage, coaxing, "It's great that you remember!"

"But that's a Li Group asset," Wu Long said. "What does it have to do with the Lu Family?"

It dawned on Lu Baichuan. No wonder Wu Long was so suspicious of them.

His preconceived notions made him assume the land belonged to the Li Family.

That's why nothing Lu Yi or Lu Baichuan said could sway him.

"Before we left the Li Group, we used certain... methods to get the land. The land you want—I have it."

Wu Long's eyes widened, and he pushed himself up with his hands on the bed.

"City South Lot 6 is incredibly important. Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Lu Baichuan gave a wry smile. "We've been trying to, but you wouldn't listen."

Wu Long glared. "So now it's my fault?"

"No, no!" Lu Baichuan waved his hands frantically. He didn't dare pin the blame on Wu Long.

Wu Long thought it over but couldn't figure it out. "But, how could they give it to you? Qiao Canhua's standards for project quality are even stricter than the Li Group's. That's not in the Lu Family's DNA."

Lu Baichuan smiled. "Old Qiao owed a favor to a friend of ours from way back. I used that connection to secure the deal."

"Qiao Canhua didn't dare say a word against it."

Wu Long nodded repeatedly. So that was it. He'd heard rumors in the Jianghu that Qiao Canhua had once been hunted, barely escaping with his life by hiding in a private residence.

'That family must have been old acquaintances of the Lu Family.'

'What incredible luck! Why couldn't it have been me?'

The way Wu Long looked at the Lu father and son changed completely.

"If you really have City South Lot 6, then working with you isn't out of the question. I wouldn't even mind giving you some shares!"

Light flashed in the eyes of the Lu father and son. 'Yes! We did it!'

It was exactly as Lu Baichuan had planned from the start. Wu Long was the type who wouldn't lift a finger unless there was something in it for him; he wouldn't take the bait without a big enough reward.

"Our Lu Group's board of directors has already prepared sufficient funds. However, if Chairman Wu is willing to cooperate, we're prepared to offer you half the shares. We can build it together and make money together."

Wu Long subtly sucked his teeth. He was a loner, terrified of betrayal, so he always made sure to take the lion's share for himself, insisting on absolute control.

Now, only being able to get half, his deep-seated sense of unease flared up.

"Chairman Wu, please wait for our good news!"

"Hold on!" Wu Long said suddenly.

Those two words made the expressions on the faces of the Lu father and son shift dramatically.

'Now what? Does he think it's not enough?'

"What are your instructions, Chairman Wu?"

"Your word alone isn't enough. What if you take the money and run? I'd be at a huge loss, wouldn't I? You two will be off enjoying fancy cars and yachts abroad while I'm left here suffering. Does that seem right?"

The Lu father and son wiped their sweat. Of course they wouldn't run, but on second thought, they really had no way to guarantee to Wu Long that they wouldn't.

Unless they staked their lives on it.

"Then how would you like us to prove it, Chairman Wu?"

Wu Long said, "Just call Qiao Canhua. I want to hear him confirm it himself."

Wu Long gestured with his hand a couple of times, but the Lu father and son didn't understand what he wanted.

Wu Long had to speak. "Give me the phone!"

Lu Yi quickly handed over his phone. "Here you go!"

Wu Long found Qiao Canhua's contact info and dialed the number.

He frowned. "Why isn't there a single call record? Aren't you two close?"

Lu Baichuan wiped his sweat. "You misunderstand. We're not close with Boss Qiao. We contacted him through our old acquaintance, so we don't have his number."

Wu Long's glare grew more hostile. "Then you make the call so I can hear it!"

He tossed the phone to Lu Baichuan.

Lu Baichuan tapped the dial button and put the call on speakerphone.

RING... RING...

"Hello, this is Qiao Canhua."

Wu Long's focus intensified. It really was him!

'This father-son duo actually has a few tricks up their sleeve?'

His suspicions lessened slightly.

"Hello, Chairman Qiao, it's Lu Baichuan! I heard you've been in Anhua these past few days. We should meet up so I can have the pleasure of hosting you!"

"Between you and me, what is there to host?" Qiao Canhua's voice was frigid.

This matched what Lu Baichuan had said—they weren't close, it was a purely business relationship. They were just acquaintances.

"You transferred such a prime piece of land to me, I'm truly grateful! My conscience wouldn't be clear if I didn't treat you!"

"Who transferred it to you? Don't flatter yourself!" Qiao Canhua's tone on the other end became rigid, every word like a bomb that sent the listener's mind into chaos.

Lu Baichuan quickly replied, "But we had an agreement! Why have you gone back on your word?"

Qiao Canhua laughed, furious. "That was a verbal agreement. Besides, you repeatedly betrayed the Li Group from within and suppressed my young friend, Mu Lin. I've been keeping a tally of all your debts!"

"The project has already been confirmed for the Li Group to develop. As a board member, you'll still get a slice of the pie. That should be enough, right? Stop bothering me."

With that, he hung up.

Lu Baichuan's forehead was covered in cold sweat. This was a turn of events he hadn't anticipated at all.

'Wu Long doesn't tolerate any deceit. How can this possibly end well?'

"Do you get some kind of sick pleasure from messing with me?" Wu Long's face was grim, filled with killing intent.

It looked like he was about to strike at any moment.

The Lu father and son were so scared they trembled.

"Chairman Wu, everything was going smoothly! I don't know where things went wrong!"

"My offer to cooperate is sincere! Please give me some time to look into it."

Wu Long sneered. "I'm not deaf. The project has already been given to the Li Group. No matter how much you ask, you can't get it back, can you?"

Lu Baichuan lowered his head. "That's right."

"Get out, while I'm still in a good mood."

It wasn't that Wu Long was in a good mood, but that he really couldn't move. Otherwise, he would have kicked these two to death long ago.

Lu Baichuan and Lu Yi stumbled out of the room.

Their expressions were awful.

"Dad, what the hell just happened? Not only did Chairman Qiao go back on his word, he even called Mu Lin 'my young friend'... How could the vice-leader of a useless team have that kind of influence?"

A subordinate walked in, and a moment later, a sound came from the hospital room. Then, the Lu father and son saw Wu Long rolling out in a wheelchair.

The Lu father and son were secretly alarmed. 'Is Wu Long really seriously ill?'

They decided not to push their luck by asking for details and quickly scurried away.

But suddenly, a cold voice came from the end of the hallway:

"Chairman Wu, where are you going?"

The Lu father and son turned their heads and saw it was Guo Lei.

Lu Yi was particularly familiar with him, as many of Wu Long's orders were relayed through Guo Lei.

When Wu Long saw it was Guo Lei, he said, "I'm going to see Young Master Yang. We have matters of cooperation to discuss."

"Mr. Mu said you're not to go anywhere. You are to stay in your room!"